A Person Is Better Than A Piece of Paper
by animeo
Summary: Sequel to "Extra Credit" Niou finds the note that Yagyuu wrote for him, and he is none to happy. Though Yagyuu has a few of his own problems now. Please read "Extra Credit" before this one. Thank you. LANGUAGE! Egg-babies on board!
1. Finding letters

**YAYS A sequel! I wasn't planning on doing this, but I was trying to think of something angsty or sad to write and I just wrote the first line that Niou says and instantly my mind went back to one of my earlier one-shots "_Extra Credit_" and my wheels started turning. Amazing what ranting skills can do huh? I just started thinking of all the horrid things that could happen and blah blah blah this is what came from it. Trust me there is something in here that might throw you...it's thrown some so far.**

**OH and if you haven't then it would be HIGHLY prudent of you to read "_Extra Credit_" Before this one, or else alot of it won't make any sense at all to you. So just that tiny reminder, and while you are there do leave a review if you wish, or include it here if you'd rather.**

**ENJOY! (yet another platinum fic!)**

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"How could you Yagyuu?" Niou sniffed looking down at the paper. The letter that Yagyuu had written when he had "supposedly" doing an extra credit assignment for Art. He closed his hand into a fist, crumpling the left edge of the page as he did so. Yagyuu had cowardly put it in between the pages of his math textbook. Knowing that this was the one lesson that Niou would not understand, hyperbolas. It was so sickeningly easy that it just flew right over Niou's head because he kept trying to make it into some complicated problem that it was not. Therefore, it was perfect in placement, cowardly in being up-front about this situation.

This was stupid, who had ever heard of a foreign exchange student program? Yagyuu had never made mention of it. He never even hinted at the sad fact that he would be leaving Niou, who would be left all alone because of this, and going to some stupid country like America.

Sure, his parents where right, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, something that Yagyuu should not pass up. Why now?

This was going to be another great year for Rikkai's boys tennis team_._ _They_ where supposed to take the title for National for the third year in a row. _They_ were supposed to name the greatest doubles one team in the nation. _They_ were then supposed to go off to the same senior high school, where _they_ would then be happy together as a couple. Then _they_ would go on to college, and live happily in a dorm together, if the fates willed it so. From there, who knew where life would take them.

Of course, now Niou did not know what would happen with Yagyuu being gone until the end of summer break. In that time span, so many things could happen. The worse thing would be Yagyuu finding another person, someone far better than Niou. Of course, Yagyuu could also find a girl in that time, and hit it off with her, and then from there other things could happen if they kept contact. In the eyes of Yagyuu's parents, anything was better than Niou.

Yagyuu's parents had taken one look at him, sniffed and forced a smile, just to be polite. They want someone who they could show off and would be proud to say, "This is my potential daughter-in-law." They could not say that about Niou. No matter what Niou did, Yagyuu's parents just hated him, even though he was just a friend in their eyes, and not their son's boyfriend. He even went as far as to dye his own hair back to its original black-brown color and fix it differently for an entire month. Grant it he was a laughing stock for that month, but as soon as the bleach was donned, once again no one dared make fun. Though Yukimura did laugh and pat Niou on the shoulder saying, "It's good to have Rikkai's trickster back in his own skin." Something that Niou could not have agreed with more.

After a while, he finally had given up, settling with the sad fact that they would never accept him as Yagyuu's friend, so them knowing of his and Yagyuu's relationship was definitely out of the question. That would only cause horribly complicated problems. Yagyuu's parents were hardcore enough to possibly take Yagyuu out of the Rikkai school system because of Niou. He was surprised they had not done that yet, since Niou was such a bad influence on their son, as they had so blatantly put it to him one night when he had been over for dinner. Niou could not really remember why he had wanted their approval of him. Perhaps it was because if his parent's did not like him, then maybe Yagyuu would start to dislike him, and Niou could not have that happen.

However, none of that really mattered if Yagyuu found someone better over in America, despite the fact that he could not see Yagyuu being with an American girl, it was just too far out there even for his imagination. However, it was still plausible, and that was the smack in the face from reality. Anything was possible in these few months that Yagyuu would be gone.

"Stupid Yagyuu." Niou growled throwing down the paper. He picked up his phone and looked at it, opened it up and debated on calling Yagyuu himself and asking him what kind of sick fucking joke was this. He was not laughing if it was, this was just plain stupid. He eventually became fed up with the idea and tossed his phone down on to his bed and fell face first down on to the mattress, bouncing from the landing.

All of these thoughts were stupid, none of this could happen, Yagyuu wouldn't leave him, and everything would be fine. This would be like one of those cheesy dramas on TV and Yagyuu would tear up the exchange student program papers in front of his parents, tell them that he's in love with Niou, run to Niou's house after he and his parents had the fight, climb up to Niou's window, and crawl through into Niou's arms like Romeo from that weird Shakespeare play from English.

"Ha! Like that would ever happen, he doesn't have the balls to do that." Niou spat out dryly as he rolled over and stared at this ceiling. "He'll go along with what ever he's told, and forget about me. He didn't even tell me this to my face like he should have." He sighed as his phone began to vibrate.

_"Baby you're all that I want with you lying here I my arms, I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven. Loving is all that I need and I found it there in your heart, it isn't too hard to see we're in heaven. We're in heaven."_

Niou knew the ring tone well; Yagyuu had placed it as his own. It had been back when they had first started dating and Yagyuu was going through Niou's phone, without asking, and had added it to his contact listing. Saying that now Niou would always know when he was calling him and that there was not any excuse as to why he should not pick up when he heard it, since it was distinctive. Some cheesy American love song was definitely unique in its own amongst all of Niou's J-rock and J-pop.

"Yes? Niou Masaharu's _I'm going to beat the living shit out of Yagyuu Hiroshi_, how may we help you today?" Niou groaned picking up the phone.

"Niou-kun, judging by your voice I'm assuming you found the note." Yagyuu said at the other end. Dread hanging on his words, apparently he had not been looking forward to telling Niou this information. No one would, well no one with a right mind that is.

"Yes I did Hiroshi; now tell me why you didn't tell me to my face." Niou growled, his eyes narrowing at his dartboard that hung on his door. Sanada's school photo hung in the center, the middle of his forehead and pupil of his left and right eyes practically none existent from the amount of times they had been hit in the same spot repeatedly. The rest of the photo was untouched; this only proved Niou's aiming abilities when he was pissed about something.

"I…" Yagyuu began to say pausing hesitantly on his end of the phone. He was probably thinking of how to word his cowardice. If Sanada was here he would be saying that what Yagyuu had done was very ignoble towards Niou, and he would be very right in his saying.

"I didn't have the heart to tell you to your face Ni…Masaharu, I understand that it must have hurt worse with a piece of paper tell you instead of me and-"

"You're damn right!" Niou yelled cutting Yagyuu off abruptly. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Yagyuu did not say anything for a few seconds the only thing was a few grunts and "damn almost lost the phone." Niou pulled the phone away and stared at it. The air was still filled with tension, well somewhat. What could he say? I'm sorry Masaharu for being a complete dick about this, or I only did this so we could have a better life later, Masaharu. All of them were lame excuses.

"I'll be back at the end of summer break." Oh, so he was going to be crafty and walk around the question, Niou had taught him well.

"I didn't ask that Hiroshi." Niou ground his teeth together, trying his best to stay in a calm frame of mind. If he flew off the handle, he might say things that would end their friendship for good, and that would be even worse when Yagyuu came back from finishing this program of his.

He heard Yagyuu sigh into the phone, causing static to push through into Niou's ear. That was a good sign he was about to fess up.

"My parent's had signed me up with out my knowledge back when a letter came in the mail saying that I had been accepted into this exchange student program to America due to my grades." Yagyuu said slowly. "I didn't take it upon myself to leave, that's the last thing that I want."

"Then tell you parents to fuck off." Niou said. "It's not like you don't have younger siblings that couldn't do it later on."

"I could, but that would only cause problems, besides I'm the first born, it's my duty to set an example." Yagyuu replied. Thoughtful as always to everyone else, and his outward appearance to all, never giving up the good student role, even on the phone with Niou.

"Alright, how did you know that I would need my math book?"

"I knew that today's lesson would be far too simple for you mind to grasp. You always over think things into some big problem that it is not. Making a mountain out of a mole hill."

"Please, spare me the philosophics for right now." Niou groaned. "It just pisses me off that you didn't tell me to my face."

"I understand that, I'm sorry."

"If you were sorry then you wouldn't have done it in the first place!" Niou reasoned. That was why he never really apologized for anything that he did. Saying that you were sorry meant that you really did know what the effects where and chose to ignore them and then when you got caught used the word to smooth things over, it was just as bad as not saying anything at all at times.

"You knew I would be pissed if you did something like this. Why not just shoot me in the head while you're at it, Christ Hiroshi." Niou stood up from his bed, put his palm to his forehead, and sighed. "Where exactly in America are you going to be?" Niou asked, having now completely come to terms with this event.

"Probably New York if things go the way they should."

"Oh well, New York isn't that bad, as long as you don't get mugged, raped, or an STD from sitting on one of the seats." Niou shrugged. Great New York, what a lovely place, just the right town for his delicate Hiro-chan. Not. Yagyuu would be killed in that city. Screw him finding a girl or guy to shack up with, what if he came back in a box? Niou shuddered at the though.

"Masaharu, just go ahead and say it. You don't want me to go." Yagyuu deadpanned.

"I never said that. As your little letter said, it's a great opportunity, if New York is where they send you then so be it, no skin off of my nose."

"I'll be killed there."

"Good thing you said it because I wasn't." Niou laughed. He could hear Yagyuu let out a small laugh on his end of the line.

"Masaharu."

"Yes?""Would you mind if I stayed the night tonight?" Yagyuu asked.

"It's pretty late, wouldn't you parents go ballistic? They hate me remember." They always had and always will.

"I know that, but…just look outside your window." Niou turned and walked over to his window and shoved the curtains open. There sitting on the tree limb in his backyard was Yagyuu wiggling his fingers at Niou with a cheesy grin. Niou's eyes widened and blush formed over his face. He thought about the Romeo thing, but he did not think that Yagyuu would actually pull it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Niou said into the phone, still staring at Yagyuu outside.

"I'm sitting on your tree limb, looking at you through your window, and its cold out here, just so you know." Yagyuu said back and grimaced. How hard was it to tell that he was actually there?

Niou snapped his phone shut and threw it on to his bed. Yagyuu closed his as well and stuffed it into his pocket. Niou unlocked the latches on his window, and shoved it open and said, "What the hell would you have done if I had gotten fed up and hung up on you?"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead actually, I was hoping that you wouldn't. Thankfully you didn't and here I am." Yagyuu spread out his arms almost loosing his balance on the narrow limb. "Could I please just come in?"

"My parents prefer that you would use the front door, but I don't give a fuck if you can get in from there you're welcome to stay." Niou smirked and walked away from the window. Setting down on his bed and grinned at Yagyuu climbing through his window like some

"Masaharu, don't leave what if I can't get in."

"Then it looks like you're screwed, Hiroshi." Niou called back covering his face trying to stifle his snickers so that Yagyuu could not hear them. Why was he here? He couldn't have come just to make up with Niou, that would be lame. Niou looked over and saw two sets of four fingers handing on to the ledge of his windowsill.

"Masaharu, help!" Yagyuu grunted trying to hoist himself up.

Niou got up and looked over the edge, at a struggling Yagyuu. Sighing he grabbed Yagyuu's forearms and pulled up.

"God damn Hiroshi, lay off the food will you." He winced, straining under the new weight.

"Shut up and pull, this is what you get for not helping in the first place."

"I could just let you drop, you know that right."

"Then my death would be your hands, Sanada-kun wouldn't like that." Yagyuu said as he made it over the edge and crawled the rest of the way into Niou's room.

"Why are you here anyways?" Niou asked sitting down next to Yagyuu's semi-limp body on the floor.

"My parents and I had a fight." Yagyuu said vaguely into the carpet of Niou's room. Turning his head to the side, he looked up at Niou.

A fight? What the hell could they have fight about? Yagyuu getting a bad grade? Not being perfect in some way?

"What about? You being the perfect child and all, I never thought something like this would happen." Niou said.

"They went through my phone and found the text messages we had sent back and forth."

Niou blushed a little and looked over at his door. "Which ones?"

"All of them."

"Damn. Even-"

"Yes, even the explicit ones."

"Oh…They weren't very happy where they?" It was a stupid question, but it just sort of came out of Niou's mouth.

"Not at all." Yagyuu sighed. "They started out calm about it, and then they started yelling after I said that everything that they were thinking was true. Yes, I was going out with another boy. Yes, it was you of all people. And that yes, I was happy with this and didn't want to leave for America because that meant that I would be away from you for several months."

Niou's heart beat quickened. Yagyuu didn't want to leave, so it wasn't just Niou who hated this idea, which was a good sign. However, the fight between Yagyuu and his parents was not.

"So…" he started, but hesitated, unsure of just what he should say.

"I walked out." Yagyuu said shifting himself over to lay his head in Niou's lap. "Things hadn't gone as I had planned; they weren't supposed to find out until after senior high. That way it wouldn't matter what happened, I would be leaving anyways."

"True." Niou muttered running in fingers through Yagyuu's hair, messing it up as he did. "So, what now?"

"Well since your parents know, they could either talk to mine, or…"

"I doubt they would stand for you living here. No matter how much they love you."

"It's worth a try none the less." Yagyuu urged.

Niou let out a sigh; usually it was he who was in Yagyuu's place. No matter what, he would always go to Yagyuu's house, climb into his room via his window, and stay there to sort things out. From everyday problems, to things dealing with his family. Never had Yagyuu been in such a predicament that he had to come over to Niou's house to cool off, taking into consideration the fact that Yagyuu never did anything bad enough to piss his parents off like this.

Niou let out a single snicker, making Yagyuu look up at him with a questioning look.

"It's just, it takes something like your parents finding out that you are gay and dating a me, to piss them off this badly."

Yagyuu smiled. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but you are right."

"Of course I am, I'm the amazing Niou Masaharu, trickster extraordinaire." Niou grinned devilishly.

"Masaharu," Yagyuu said quietly causing Niou to stop his talking. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, Hiroshi." Niou's smile softened.

A knock came at Niou's door with his mother at the other side asking if someone was in there with him. Yagyuu shot up from his laying position and switched to sitting cross-legged, as Niou's mother opened up the door.

"Masaharu, what is Yagyuu-kun doing here?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "He didn't come in through the front door like he usually does."

"Umm…" Niou hesitated. "Hiroshi had a problem at home." He finally said.

"My parents found out about me dating your son." Yagyuu said hanging his head. He wasn't ashamed of the fact; he was ashamed that his levelheaded parents had reacted in such a way, though it was to be expected with his family being so strict.

"Oh dear." Was all Niou's mother said putting her hand up to her mouth. "Well, even though it is against my better judgment, but due to the current situation, I'll allow you to stay the night if you'd wish. Would you like for me to call you parents?"

"No! If they find out that I'm here, they'll come and get me-"

"That's if they even care now." Niou interjected.

"Masaharu!" His mother said.

"It's true Niou-san, if they even care now. In their eyes, I'm probably some horrid abomination or something along those lines." Yagyuu let out a sigh, and got up from his spot on the floor. "Thank you for allowing me to stay the night." He bowed to Niou's mother.

"It's alright Yagyuu-kun. Masaharu, could you go and get the guest futon from the hall closet?"

Niou got up from his spot muttering something about how Yagyuu should go and get it since he's the one sleeping on the damn thing.

"Language." Was all his mother said. Niou shot a glare back and sneered.

"Language my ass." He said stomping off.

His mother rolled her eyes and looked over at Yagyuu. "We'll straighten this all out in the morning Yagyuu-kun; since tomorrow is Saturday we can call you parents and talk with them then." She smiled at him. Yagyuu nodded his head and said thank you to her once again before she left. Hopefully things would be worked out in the morning, for now he had Niou to help him with this situation.

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**So I'm going to go and cry now because this made me really sad in the beginning, the ending even makes me sad because Yagyuu's parents might now want to talk rationally...or maybe they will. I'll let you guys think on that. That is the glory of fanfiction, allowing you guys to fill in the blanks.**

**So how did Yagyuu's little predicament make you guys feel? It made me really sad to think that his parents would be so cruel and close minded. Poor Yagyuu ran all the way to Niou's house and sat in his tree. He probably would have slept there if Niou had hung up on him, but Yagyuu is just a romantic like that, hoping that love would prevail...and it did! -sigh- I love a good ending. I really do hope you all enjoyed this little sequel.**

**Your faithful Authoress,**

**animeo**


	2. Meetings

**SO... I wasn't expecting to write this second chapter, purely because I KNEW that I would have troubles with it, but due to people asking, I opted to continue it. I did hit a snag half way though but thanks so mell-elle-chan I was able to push through! The out come isn't exactly what I was hopeing for, but it works out I guess. Enjoy!**

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This was it. Yagyuu had dreaded this meeting since Niou's mother had mentioned it the night before when she had discovered his presence in her son's room. The call had been made to his parents earlier this morning, Niou's mother had very calmly told them that their son was currently in her home, and that he was fine. After she had hung up the phone she grimaced and muttered something about close-minded traditionalists.

"They are probably still upset." Yagyuu muttered taking a bite of his toast. Niou's mother really was a wonderful cook, just right now, no matter what, everything tasted like cardboard in his mouth.

"Well, they didn't sound very pleased when I had told them that you had spent the night here. In fact they almost hung up on me." She said sitting back down at the table. Niou's father had left earlier for some emergency reason to work. Yagyuu couldn't exactly remember what he did, but it something that resulted in the man being called a typical salary man.

"That's stupid." Niou said darkly. He poked at his food and shuffled it around. He didn't really want to face Yagyuu's angry parents. They hated him enough as it was, but now that he had 'tainted' their wondrously perfect son, they would forever view him as the annoying gnat that wouldn't go away in the summer time, no matter how many times they swat at him, he just keeps showing back up.

Yagyuu was nervous, his hands were shaking and he almost dropped his cup of tea three times, at the prospect of his parents forever shunning him because of something so minute. As Niou had said last night, he did have two younger siblings that could do far better things than he. He shouldn't put so much pressure on himself. He couldn't help but put pressure on himself, he was the first born in the family, and for being placed in that position it was his duty to set a good example for his younger siblings, and by having this situation ensue in the household because of his carelessness wasn't the best environment for them. He would have to choose, Niou and his accepting family, or his own scornful, and close-minded one. To the average outsider it wouldn't be that hard of a decision, but for Yagyuu this would change his entire life.

Niou's mother looked over at Yagyuu who was poking his food as well. She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, just remember they can only be this way for so long. Family, despite how much they may hate one of their own, will always be family. Masaharu has yet to understand that."

"Please, this is a stupid family." Niou rolled his eyes.

"But you can't get away from us." She replied. "No matter where you go, who you live with, or what name you change yours to, you will always be my Masa-chan."

Laying his head down on the table, Niou groaned and covered his ears. His mother was such an embarrassing sap at times. "Don't call me that!"

Why did she have to be like this? She insisted on embarrassing him at every turn in front of Yagyuu. Even though she said she wasn't trying to, Niou knew for he himself was this way, that his mother was rather tricksy. That was where he got the habit from. He didn't like admitting it, but he was more like his mother than anyone else in the family. At times he was grateful for this, purely because he had no desire to be like his father and be labeled a 'salary man' for the remainder of his pathetic existence. He could do so much more than that. With Yagyuu at his side, they would remain being unstoppable in whatever they did. This problem with Yagyuu's parents was merely another obstacle in their way. One that they would over come together. The out come, however, was still undeterminable at the moment.

"What's the matter _Masa-chan_?" Yagyuu snickered. Though with that comment, Niou thought that he wouldn't want to live his life with Yagyuu.

Niou shot his head up and glared at Yagyuu. "Don't you start too!"

Yagyuu chuckled and sighed. Niou had this ability to over react at things and be just like any other teenager as much as he tried to hide it.

For those fleeting moments Yagyuu's nervous shaking subsided, but once the silence began again, he remembered the terrifying encounter that was to come later on in the day.

"When will they be here?" He asked.

"Around noon, I believe they said. Though it was hard to understand them completely through all their arguing in the background. Apparently your mother isn't as upset as your father is. Well, from what I could tell. I might be wrong."

"My mother doesn't hold grudges, she was probably just hit by the initial shock of it all, then the rest of her reaction was fueled by my father anger." Yagyuu sighed. "She really is a saint, just she follows whatever my father says like a marionette. She's probably already accepted it in her mind, given that she's had time to think about it, but she won't physically show it because of my father's feelings towards it."

"That sucks." Niou said, "Do you think she knew?" He couldn't help asking, he always had this inkling thought at the back of his head that she did, but just wouldn't say anything. Perhaps if she just grew a backbone then maybe things would turn out for the better.

"More than likely she did. She would always say that you were a nice kid, and a good thing for me." Yagyuu shrugged.

Niou gaped at him, he had to be lying. "You're parents hate me."

"Wrong Masaharu, my father hates you, my mother merely follows." Yagyuu wagged his finger in Niou's face.

"Well you could have said that earlier! I thought they both hated me this entire time! Christ Hiroshi, why must you keep me in dark?"

"You never asked."

"I'm about to shove my foot up your-"

"Masaharu." Niou's mother said warningly, "Don't push it."

Niou muttered something incoherently and rested his chin on the table's edge.

* * *

Noon arrived at a rather sluggish pace. No word came from Yagyuu's parents saying whether they would be late or not. In the words of Niou however, that's if they even cared anymore to think of calling ahead of time. So it was safe to assume that they would be right on time, still being prudent in their current strife against him. How very like them.

The doorbell rang and a short, curt knock on the door followed closely behind. Making sure that Niou's mother knew of their arrival. Yagyuu warily looked over and sighed from his place on the couch in Niou's living room. The time had finally come to find out his fate. Niou placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly and quirked an eyebrow at him as if to say 'don't worry you big dummy, it can't go that badly. So stop being such a worry wart.'

Niou's mother opened the door bowing slightly as she did and greeted Yagyuu's parents with a smile. Yagyuu's parents, however, gave just the opposite, his father glared over the top of his glasses and scowled at her in a criticizing manner, his mother looked to the floor and muttered a small thanks of having them over. Removing their shoes at the door they walked in. Niou's mother led them to the living room where her son and Yagyuu were sitting, waiting for this all to be over with. She could sympathize with them to an extent, she wasn't looking forward to this type of discussion with Yagyuu's parents, much less anyone else.

Yagyuu stood when his parents entered the room and bowed slowly, keeping his eyes to the floor.

"Otou-san, Okaa-san." He greeted in a low voice. His father snorted quietly in disgust and sat down in the chair across from the couch, Yagyuu's mother followed suit and sat down next to her husband. She looked at her son in remorse, she didn't want thinks to turn out badly either. She didn't want to loose her son over something like this. In her eyes, yes it was wrong, but it was something that she could live with if her son was happy with it. But she had to side with her husband no matter what the out come.

"Ok, let's get things straightened out here shall we?" Niou's mother said taking a seat next to her son on the couch. She sighed and looked over Yagyuu and smiled. "Apparently there has been some form of a misunderstanding here."

"There has been no such thing." Yagyuu's father immediately said afterwards, his gaze falling on Niou as he said it. "Merely two scared rats who have been caught that's all."

"Oi, I'm not a rat." Niou said. "I'm a sewer rat get it right, please." He sneered with a bit of edge in his voice.

"Masaharu." Yagyuu said looking over, but Niou continued on.

"Also I'll kindly ask you to not look at me that way, I'm not going to go away just because you will it so, I'm here and that's all there is to it." Niou said before shrugging and looking over at the window. This was going no where, if anything Niou was making it worse with his snide remarks.

"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from calling my son a rat," Niou's mother interjected. "It's unnecessary, and uncalled for. Also Masaharu, you needn't make those comments."

Niou grunted some form of a reply and rolled his eyes. Yagyuu's parents weren't going to accept him or their relationship, so why even go through this torturous meeting? It wasn't going to change anything. If anything it might make things worse, they could rip Yagyuu up right there, drag him out of the house, and take him away for ever and place him in some private boarding school as far away from Niou as humanly possible. Cutting him off from everything and everyone else in the process, making him even less sociable that what he already was. They would destroy any means of communication between the two. Phone calls would be screened, letters stopped mid-way, visits forbidden, anything that was feasible would be done to ensure that their son was kept perfect and away from the tainted sin that is Niou Masaharu.

"Niou-san, we don't mean to bring your son into this, we merely don't agree with this relationship." Yagyuu's mother spoke so quietly that they almost didn't notice she even spoke at all. Always the meek woman in Niou's opinion, she would always remain spin less at this rate.

"You mean, I'm the only one that doesn't agree. You fully accept this don't you?" His father spat at her.

"I never said that, you're jumping to conclusions, dear." she replied defensively.

"Please, stop." Niou's mother sighed lifting her left hand to her forehead. "I'll be frank about this, I don't particularly see a problem with any of this." she gestured over to Niou and Yagyuu.

"Let me get this straight." Niou couldn't help but glare at Yagyuu's father. "You actually accept something like…like this?"

Niou watched as his mother nodded, one small little nod, before tuning to look at him. "Masaharu is my son. It is his choice. My husband and I accept any of his decisions, be them smart…or less well thought through." Niou frowned at the comment. Grant it he had made some pretty dumb mistakes, but he knew they were dumb afterwards. "We allow him to learn from them. If he gets burned from whatever it is he's doing, then he won't do it again just that simple. He's not an idiot, he's rather brilliant in his own way. Grant it those moments are few and far between," Yagyuu would have laughed at the look on Niou's face right now from what his mother way saying about him. "But they are there none the less."

Niou would have stuck his tongue out at Yagyuu's father had his mother not been sitting right there within hitting range. It was times like these that he was proud to call this woman his female parental guidance counselor of life a.k.a Mom. Even though she totally contradicted herself in a few spots it was alright. Her point was made.

"As far as I know your son hasn't disappointed you in anyway, nor has he done poorly in school, and I highly doubt he's done anything illegal."

"He's…" Yagyuu's father began.

"He's what?"

"He's fallen in love, that's all." Yagyuu's mother spoke up and softly smiled at her son. "You've done nothing wrong Hiroshi, grant it all of this is a little hard to wrap my head around I'll get used to it."

Yagyuu looked incredulously at his mother. There it was, that small inkling of hope that those strings might be cut from her so that she can speak for herself now.

Yagyuu's father glared at her from the corner of his eyes. This was going to be a full on train wreck at this rate.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it."

"I'm sorry, but it's true, the only reason why you are against this is because then you couldn't ruin your own son's life like your parents did yours." Everyone in the room was quite, listening intently as to what she would say next, since she rarely spoke at all to begin with. "Arranged marriages are old-fashioned and you know it. Honestly marrying someone off at such a young age to someone they don't even know let alone like, is just ludicrous."

"Ludicrous!?"

"Yes, you were against it just as much as I was, you could have gotten out of it but no, you had to bend to the will of your parents at every turn and do just as they said. I lost my back bone a long time ago because of this arrangement, because I didn't have a say in anything what was the point in speaking at all?" She hissed and pointed to the ground. "Not anymore, I don't want to loose our son because your too set in your old ways. The world is changing, accept it and move on with life."

Who was this woman? What in the world had she done with Yagyuu's small, frail, timid mother? Niou didn't know and neither did Yagyuu. This woman was gutsy that's for sure. That flicker of hope in Yagyuu's mind now turned to a blazing fire as he smiled at her, his mother had found her voice again.

Yagyuu's mother stood up from her chair and looked over at Niou and smiled weakly and bowed, "I'm sorry for this treatment you've been given Niou-kun. I would like to start over, if it's alright with you."

He didn't know what to say at first, he stared at the woman in front of him like she was some foreigner or something. This woman who had prominently expressed her dislike of him on several occasions was now apologizing to him for it? To any other person he would just snort, laugh at them, and walk off. If he did that now, everything would be ruined that Yagyuu's mother had just put before him.

He stood up clenching and unclenching his fists in nervous confusion as to what he should do. His palms were sweaty from all this anxiety that had faced him since this morning. He supposed Yagyuu's felt the same way. The two beside him looked up, wondering exactly the same thing, what would he do?

Niou stood there for several moments and finally made his decision. Bowing he said, "I'd like that Yagyuu-san, it would make me feel a lot more comfortable around you that's for sure." A small chuckle escaped his lips at the end of his statement.

"Stop this! Stop all of this right now!" Yagyuu's father stood up, his face had now turned an odd redish color. Niou looked over at him, as did his mother. "This is insane, I don't know what's come over you, but it needs to stop this instant." He pointed to his wife and then to his son. "You've caused this, ever since you started tennis you've become obstinate, impertinent, and my patience has debilitated beyond recognition. We are going home this instant. Think of what you've done to Michiru, and Reiichiro, they have suffered from this as well you know." He reached out for Yagyuu's shoulder, grabbing it forcefully as he yanked his son towards the door.

"Hiroshi!" Niou called out reaching for the tail of Yagyuu's shirt.

"I doubt they even care, they're too young to know what being homosexual is anyways." Yagyuu countered in a dark tone, as he tried to wiggle away. He donned a Niou like smirk and sneered, "To think this is the longest conversation we've had in months. I don't see why you would care either since you are never home to begin with. Why does it matter that I love another boy? Michiru and Reiichiro can grow up just fine, it's not like I'm going to influence them in anyway. You can have your perfect children, just leave me out of it!"

Niou gaped at the sight and the words that were coming from Yagyuu's mouth. The calm, levelheaded, Yagyuu was long gone at this point. There was no turning back for either of them now.

"Is that how you want it then?" His father glared down menacingly, challenging his son to say something negative.

"It is." Yagyuu replied steadily, challenge accepted.

"Then so be it, stay here with your limp-wristed boyfriend. Don't call us if anything happens to you." He hissed through clenched teeth. That was it, that was all there was to it, and things were done. Possibly broken beyond repair now, well between Yagyuu and his father that is, probably not between him and his mother.

"I will, and don't worry, I'll be sure not to. Since hearing my voice will destroy either Michiru's or Reiichiro's sexual orientation, or at least that's the impression that I'm getting from you…father." Yagyuu only hesitated for a second on the name. He wasn't sure if he would still be allowed to call the man that after this fiasco. It's not like he wanted to exactly. He only felt a little bit of remorse for doing this to him. True to Yagyuu's word the man was never around, so it really wouldn't make that much of a difference in his home life. He would come home to his formerly loving wife, and his children, minus the eldest now, and not bat an eye at the consequences of his tunnel-vision like choice. Everyone else around him in his house would silently grieve the loss of their son or elder brother.

There was nothing that Yagyuu could do now, other than see his father leave and pull his mother out the door with him. Her moment of voice now gone, and withered away, probably never to show itself again.

"Hiroshi, come by the house later, and get your things." His mother said as the door closed behind her.

"That poor woman." Niou's mother sighed getting up from her seat on the couch. "Having to live under such an oppressive man."

"That probably could have gone better." Niou muttered letting go of Yagyuu's shirt tail.

"No, it was meant to be this way. This is what I get for trying to be sneaky and underhanded about this. Probably all for the better anyways."

"I suppose you have no choice Yagyuu-kun, the guest bedroom is yours from now on." Niou mother turned and pointed a finger in Yagyuu's face "But let's get few things laid down here. Rule one: I don't want to hear _anything_ coming from either of your rooms, under stood?" Niou and Yagyuu nodded. "Rule two: you are confined to only holding hands in the living room, and no Masaharu that doesn't mean that once you leave the living room that you can do anything you wish, so don't try and get around it. Rule three: the next time you two have sex, because I know you Masaharu you will find away to do it, please…just be safe about it."

Yagyuu nodded and smiled at her. This is what a real parent did, though it was some what lenient, she cared none the less about their well beings.

"What do you think dad will say when he finds out Hiroshi is our permanent guest?" Niou snickered.

"He'll deal with it, I promise you that. Ha, when you sister comes in for visit from college, she's going to be ecstatic to know that you have a boyfriend, Masaharu, she's never met Yagyuu-kun."

Niou furrowed his brow and groaned, not his sister any one but that. She had this sick obsession with being a fan girl to Yaoi pairings, now she could view him and Yagyuu has her own personal live in story…great.

"You sister sounds nice Masaharu, I look forward to meeting her."

"You haven't a clue do you? She's crazy…CRAZIER THAN ME!" Niou yelled flailing his arms about. Yagyuu smirked and sighed.

"That's hard to believe, Masaharu, you aren't the most sane of people."

"Of course I'm not, she's just the reason I'm the freak I am. Seriously, I was like a doll to her!" The memories, oh the horrid memories of being dressed in so many girly outfits, and the hair styling, it was pure torture for Niou. His mother never did anything about it either, she merely smiled and nodded approvingly at what his sister would use him to create.

"She's coming in for a few days starting Tuesday, that's when her flight hits the ground." His mother mused a grin growing on her face.

"TUESDAY! That only gives me two days to find a hiding place that she hasn't found yet! Hiroshi is too delicate for Rika's torturing!"

"Masaharu, I'm not a girl, I think I can take a visit from your sister."

"That is where you are WRONG Hiroshi, you are so very wrong, but if you wish to talk to her, be my guest, it's your funeral."

So the anticipated wait began, for the meeting of Niou's older sister.

* * *

**Eh, I couldn't think of any names for Yagyuu's parents so...yea, it got REALLY repetative and I'm sorry about that. Sadly I ended up setting myself up for a third chapter. This makes FOUR fics I'm working on currently. That seems a little excessive to me, but it works out, since I gt bored pretty easily and I run out of ideas quickly I need something else to work on for a while. -sigh- I guess that's it for now.**

**until the next chapter,**

**animeo**


	3. Crazy Sister Alert!

**As per usual, I haven't an excuse for my tardyness, I'm just late. That's all there is to it. Ah, well I hope that you will all enjoy this chapter anyways. I do realize that it is, in fact, much shorter than my usual chapters thus far, this one (with out my notes) tops out at 3,221 words, usually they're around 4,000+ but not today. Enjoy!**

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It had only been a few minutes, that was all. In just these few minutes, simple turning of hands upon a clocks face, Yagyuu was on the doorstep to insanity. He had now learned that when Niou talked of his sister, everything is true no matter how foolish or cracked it may sound. Everything is true.

Niou Rika was anything and everything your typical thought of a member of the Niou family would be like, upon only meeting Niou Masaharu himself that is. She was loud, girly, and overly pretentious, and she could have a mean streak a mild wide or so said Niou. Yagyuu didn't put it past her to able to hold a grudge against anyone, she just seemed like that type of person.

Yagyuu thought that perhaps Niou was the only one that wasn't good at first impression, simple because he didn't care, but apparently neither was his sister.

"Masaharu! Your Nee-san is home!" Was the first thing she yelled coming in the doorway. Niou, who was sitting in his room with Yagyuu at the time, did an odd mixture of wince and cringe before running into his closet and closing the sliding door. Yagyuu sat there rather confused at the strange action. Grant it he wasn't very homely with his sibling either, but this was no way for Niou to act.

Yagyuu walked over and tired to slide the door open. Niou was on the other side holding it closed.

"Masaharu, what are you doing?" Yagyuu asked.

"I'm fearing for my life that's what. Now if you know what's good for you, Hiroshi, you'll find your own hiding place and fast." The warning in Niou's voice would have been enough for anyone who didn't know him, but Niou was who he was, meaning that he was a master of voice play. Nothing was ever true coming from him, or so Yagyuu thought.

"What for?"

"Because she'll find you and-"

"Masaharu! Why haven't you come down to welcome your dearest Nee-san?" A shrill voice yelled in Yagyuu's ear.

"Eh, I'm sorry, but we haven't met before I'm-" Yagyuu, with his gentleman mode in full power, started to say before Niou's sister cut him off.

"Masaharu, are you playing dress up again without me?" She said a smile brimming on her face.

"What? No I'm not Niou-kun, I'm-" Yagyuu was stopped again when he heard small snickers coming from inside the closet.

Niou had been leaning against the door of his closet, but once his sister had entered the room he had dove for his pile of dirty clothes. A rancid sock was lodged in front of him and he almost gagged before he began to hear Yagyuu's stammering outside, then his gagging turned into poorly stifled laughter, that he was sure could be heard but he didn't particularly care at the moment.

"I know, you're cosplaying as Yagyuu-kun again aren't you?" Niou's sister smiled. How did she know his name? That was a stupid question, she was a Niou she had odd ways of finding out information. "I remember those pictures of your tennis team that you sent me, and Yagyuu-kun having a little pink heart placed around his face."

Yagyuu's face lost a little twinge of color while Niou's blanched. Yagyuu wasn't supposed to know he had done the pretty much the most girly thing in the book with their team photos. If he could he would jump out of the closet right then and punch his sister in the face, but he got a better idea instead, he could only hope that Yagyuu would catch on quick enough.

"I don't know what you are talking about, I'm not Niou-kun I'm-" the sliding door Of Niou's closet opened up and out walked Niou with a pair of fake glasses on, the very ones he used during matches when they performed The Switch.

"You might as well give it up Niou-kun, your sister has apparently found us out." Niou said in a very calm and collected tone, the exact one Yagyuu used in front of Niou's family. _'Come on you idiot pick it up!'_

Yagyuu looked at Niou for a moment and then realized the game they were going to play.

"Well she wouldn't have if you would have shut your damn mouth Yagyuu." He drawled out his name in the way only Niou did. It had taken awhile when they had first started practicing being each other, but eventually Yagyuu had gotten down Niou's odd accent. It wasn't quite Kansai but it was pretty close, Niou never would say where it is that he was originally from.

Niou's sister gaped as she looked at the two of them, then she let out an earth shaking squeal that would have, and probably could have, woken the dead of the other side of the planet. Yagyuu winced and covered his ears while Niou merely closed his eyes, keeping up the façade with ease. Having been around his sister enough this was an easy enough task.

"Christ would you not do that? I'd like to keep my hearing." The growl was perfect, seeing as how Niou's sister didn't take any notice that Yagyuu was in fact not her brother.

"I'm sorry, it's just the two of you are dressing up as each other and that's so adorable. I've seen that somewhere I think…" Niou really, really wanted to hit his sister. It took any and all of his will power to stay in character as Yagyuu. Could she be any lamer? Apparently so since she began to comment on how well "Yagyuu" had dressed up as "Niou" and vise versa.

"Would you just stop it! Seriously you're pissing me off." Yagyuu yelled.

"Niou-kun, you shouldn't talk to your older sister that way, it's impolite." Niou chided, much to his own dislike.

"Oh don't play the goodie-two-shoes act Yagyuu, you want her to shut up just as much as I do." Perfectly executed. It would be a shame if Niou's sister found out now, though the look on her face would be priceless. "See, you didn't believe me when I said she was a crazy nut-case."

"I'm not crazy Masaharu," Rika pouted, pushing her bottom lip out in, what the average male with raging hormones would say, a cute manner. "Just eccentric that's all."

"Sure, and Yagyuu here isn't about as gay as anything."

"Niou-kun!"

Yagyuu merely glanced over at him. Niou couldn't argue with it, he had done pretty much the gayest thing ever with the little hearts. At least he hadn't written notes to Yagyuu yet, though he has thought on it. If his sister knew that, then she would never let him live it down.

"Awe, a lover's spat." Rika cooed ruffling Yagyuu's hair.

"Seriously I'm going to hit you in like two seconds if you don't stop with this fangirling bullshit." Yagyuu pushed Rika's hand away and glared at her hard through his glasses. This was the only thing he liked about being Niou, he could say whatever he wanted with no restraints. No one expected anything different. Plus, Yagyuu's real thoughts of people could come out as well, since he and Niou ran along the same wave length at times, it all sounded completely natural.

"Alright alright, just chill out Masaharu. Though you should wash that dye out of your hair, the bleached look is much better." Niou's sister laughed before leaving the room.

Niou looked at the door then at Yagyuu, who pushed up his glasses in a silent reply.

"That was amazing." Niou said before busting out laughing. Yagyuu began to smooth his ruffled hair.

"It was amusing yes. Though I don't like the fact that your sister thought I was you. Do you really dress up like me when I'm not around?"

Niou immediately stopped his laughter and looked around in a suspicious manner. His eyes darting from side to side as he said "I don't know what you are talking about, how lame would that be?"

"Also, I would like to see these pictures of me as well, Niou-kun."

"As I said before," Niou grinned before straightening his posture and pushing up the glasses that were still on his face, "I haven't a clue as to what you are speaking of." The response was curt, but polite, just the way Yagyuu was in these types of situations.

Yagyuu paused for a moment before getting the little game that Niou was going to use to get out telling him anything. No matter really, Yagyuu would just go through Niou's things later, having impersonated the Petenshi enough and having been in his room enough, Yagyuu pretty much knew his way around Niou's favorite hiding places.

Inside, Niou was freaking out despite his cool façade out side. This wasn't cool at all. Yagyuu wasn't supposed to hear about the pictures, and knowing the gentleman he would be hell bent of finding them, of course in a polite manner unless he decided to be "Niou" when he went to search for them, which he more than likely would be.

Niou wasn't an obsessed girlfriend or anything, quite the contrary last time he checked he was a full-blooded Japanese _boy_, boy being the key word. Sure he had certain idols he liked, but that wasn't anything really big it's not like he had posters hanging about his room, well visibly that is. It was nothing that would make his mildly girly side blatantly obvious.

"I would never do something so childish," Niou added.

"Of course not, you just conveniently forgot huh? Yagyuu drawled back with a cheeky smirk. "How very unlike you, Yagyuu."

"Yes well, you may think it convenient amnesia, I say it's the truth, Niou-kun."

"che, whatever, I know what I heard." Yagyuu sniffed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He didn't put it past Niou to dress up as him around the house, at first they had agreed on it so that they could better their impersonation of each other, apparently Niou had continued on without Yagyuu after they had agreed that it was enough practice.

"You know that in times of fear, due to the sudden rush of adrenaline, the mind can in fact misinterpreted information quite easily." Niou stated matter-of-factly. He was no longer panicking on the inside in fact he was laughing. They had never maintained a conversation liked this in private longer then perhaps five minutes, so this feat was quite extraordinary for them both.

"True, but I wasn't afraid, I was merely startled that's all…Niou-kun." Yagyuu smiled. He often was the first to give up, surprisingly Niou very rarely gave up first in their masquerade. Yagyuu couldn't help but point out the few faults that Niou had when doing the routine, they were far and few between, but there none the less.

"Masaharu! Come down here your Nee-san has something for you!" Rika's voice came in a shrill tone from the living room down stairs.

"I'll be down there when I get down there!" Niou yelled back. Yagyuu shook his head slowly from side to side and clicked his tongue. "What?"

"Nothing, just you shouldn't speak to your sister in such a disrespectful manner."

"It's a hate, hate relationship. Trust me everything is fine."

"Sure."

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Once Niou got down to the living room, Yagyuu following close behind, he almost immediately returned to his room. His sister was in the process of grinning maliciously and digging through one of the several bags she had brought with her.

"You are going to love me for this Masaharu, I'm serious." Rika said pulling out a large cardboard tube and handed it in Niou's general direction. He reached out and grabbed the tube a little unsure as to what might be inside, knowing his sister it would be something embarrassing.

"Well go ahead and open it." She urged.

Niou looked down at the package, and hesitated for a moment. Yagyuu stared on in anticipation. Niou began to pop the white, plastic top off the far right-hand end on the tube. Sliding his nails under the edge to break the seal, pulling to top off with a suctioned _pop_. He looked inside, turning the freshly opened end towards the light for better look at the contents. Inside was a rolled piece of thick paper, it looked to be a poster of some sorts. Niou pulled it out slightly and turned the corner out a little to see what was on the inside, he blushed and let out a small yelp before quickly returning the poster back to it's container.

"What is it?" Yagyuu asked pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, using his right index finger.

"Nothing. It's nothing. God Nee-san, why did you have to get me that?" Niou whined holding up the tube and pointing at it.

"I thought it would complete that little sh-"

"STOP! Don't say anything else or I will seriously kill you in your sleep tonight using something murderous." Niou hissed.

"Something murderous? Really Masaharu, you can't be serious." Yagyuu frowned, "I've heard more fearful threats from Sanada-kun."

"That's because he can make them as fierce as he'd like, but he'll never back them up. I, on the other hand will, you know that Hiroshi." Niou chided, "Also do remember that you have a weak-mind when it comes to things like that."

"Well, despite your personal display of resentment towards it, I know you, you'll run up to your room and hang it the minute you get alone Masaharu." Niou's sister winked and then called in Niou's mother.

"Whatever, I will not." Niou grunted stuffing his free hand into his pocket before turning around and returned to his room upstairs. Yagyuu followed.

That really was something embarrassing to receive. He would have rather it had been a CD or something else maybe even photo book, but not a poster. Anything but a poster. Niou had to do almost everything in his power to keep his own fan boy side from squealing over the very sight of such a treasure, an actual, signed poster. It was a gift and a torment, a torment because he was once again reminded of the girl that he was. This was all Rika's fault, that's right she was to blame for Niou being this way.

Upon reaching his room he promptly threw the present into his closet and slid the door close, making sure Yagyuu didn't see inside. His secret was in there, something that could never be found out, he would be a laughing stock, purely because of the likeness that this secret held to someone else. That alone would kill him, it killed him now actually. If Yagyuu ever found out about this semi-sick obsession, who knows what he would say, or think, or even do.

The face on that poster resembled the one that held arrogance in it's own entrancing way. It's not like Niou would ever fall for someone of that type of personality, he just found it odd how closely the two people resembled each other, even in their voices if he listened close enough he could almost imagine it was the other singing instead of the artist himself. Why he was wanting to imagine that was just creepy in itself. It was strange, Niou felt no physical attraction or anything to other, he just liked the way he worked. Yagyuu was far more important, far more intricate.

"Masaharu, what did you sister get you?" Yagyuu asked after he sat down at Niou's desk, resting his hands on his chest, interlacing his fingers and drumming his thumbs lightly. It was the serve in their question game.

"Nothing of importance, just a poster." Niou returned the serve low and fast.

"I figured that much out, of what?" Yagyuu lobbed back, and began to approach the invisible net between them.

"Just something ok." Smash to the back right hand corner of Yagyuu's court. Niou's point, 15-0.

"Oh, alright." Yagyuu said,

"Yep." Niou's serve this time.

"It was nice of her to get whatever it was for you." A smash. Trying to get Niou with kindness eh? Not going to work.

"I guess, she always does." It was a little early but a drop shot would be just the thing that Yagyuu wouldn't expect. Niou's point 30-0. So far he was dominating their game of twenty questions.

"Oh, she is a little strange though, but it's something I could grow accustomed to." Yagyuu shrugged, crossing his left leg over his right he leaned back into the chair and looked at Niou down his nose. His glasses slide down, but because of him looking at Niou in the manner that he was, his vision stayed clear. He wasn't glaring or anything like that, he was just looking at Niou in a midly scrutinizing manner. For once Niou didn't know what Yagyuu was thinking, he didn't like it when this happened, because then he couldn't plan out his next move accordingly.

"Like I said she's crazy as all get out," Niou replied curtly.

"Ah." Yagyuu simply said before getting up from his seat next to the desk. That was it, game over. If one was to judge by points, Niou won, but by technical difficulty, Yagyuu won by being simple and direct.

"I have homework I have to finish up Masaharu, if you need me I'll be next door." Niou nodded as Yagyuu closed the door behind him. It was not until Niou heard the door across the hallway close did he get up and make a dash for the closet. He flung the door open and grabbed the cardboard tube clutching it to his chest.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have tossed you, it's just that Hiroshi was here, and if he saw you then…I don't know I just don't want him to see you." Niou looked around his room and reach over to his door and locked it. "I have to make sure no one disturbs us. Now to hang you up in your rightful place."

Niou turned on the light to his closet and walked to the back and pulled away a pile of old dirty clothes, revealing a small altar with various pictures of the idol in question that Niou had been 'speaking' to just moments ago. He unrolled the poster and hung it at the back of the altar, making the structure complete in all possible ways. He smiled and hugged himself on the inside at the sheer perfection looking back at him. He would defiantly sleep well tonight, nothing could ruin this right now. All he had to do was just suppress his growing smile and giddiness. Everyone would surely notice, and his sister would never let it go if she really knew how happy he was with this gift.

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**Can anyone guess who the Idol is that Niou is well...idolizing? I mean come on he has an altar dedicated to the guy! and no, before anyone guesses it isn't Nakagauchi Masataka (that's a shock I know...) But he is from Tenimyu. I gave plenty of hints as to who he plays. -sigh- I don't know why I decided to use him though, it's really weird.  
Eh, So what about Niou's sister? We really haven't gotten to know her just yet, we just know she's a little spazzy in some ways. Poor Yagyuu was mistaken for Niou at first! That was hilarious! He never got to say that he was Yagyuu and Not Niou just "I'm not Niou-kun, I'm-" and that was it! I think this chapter was a breath of freashness into this stuffy, angsty fic. Niou is such a girl it's pretty much insane, but it's ok. When I found out that there was going to be a second PoT series i was smiling so much that I had teachers staring at me, mainly because I don't smile at all really. wow that's off topic. **

**Reviews!**

**animeo**


	4. Project? Eggs? KIDS?

**-sigh- once again, I'm tardy on my updates. I've just been like real busy and I haven't felt the need to write anything really. Enjoy.**

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"Masaharu get up, please." Niou's mother said at the door way. Niou groaned and rolled over mumbling something into his sweat damp sheets. Summer time was the worse, no matter how low the temperature was on the A/C unit he would never be rid of the stuff, muggy feeling in the house.

"Masaharu," She said again, frowning. Niou still didn't respond. She sighed and walked over to his window, ripped open the thing department store curtains allowing the bright sunlight to flood through. Niou's toes, which were the only other part visible part of him other than his mussed bleach hair, curled at the increase in warmth due to the sunlight that fell upon them.

She then reached down, ripping the edge of the sheet, she yanked hard pulling her son free from his protective cocoon of sheets and blankets.

"What the hell?" Niou yelled as he hit the floor on his back.

"It's time to get up, Yagyuu-kun is already down stairs easting with your sister."

"Che, that lazy ass is up? Must be doing it to put up a good show for you." Niou scoffed. Yagyuu had never been much of a morning person. Niou had found this out during Kantou when he went by Yagyuu's house to pick him up. The other was still in his pajamas, hair mussed, eyes squinting in the morning light behind his glasses.

Because of Yagyuu's laziness, they were ten minutes late. Niou wasn't the least bit surprised when Sanada had blamed _him_ for it, because Yagyuu the perfect, wonderful, model gentleman that he is would _never_ be late to something so important to the team much less to Yukimura. Niou was the only heartless bastard that would want to take the dream of a third perfect season away from a half dead fifteen year old who was also half paralyzed. Yes, and also in Niou's spare time he liked to take candy away from children, kick puppies, and yell at old people until they cried, but destroying Yukimura's dream was Niou's sole task right now. Sanada could have gone and shoved it up his loser ass along with that stick that wedged up there. Despite this Niou took the laps, that were to be promptly completed under the watchful eye of Yanagi after the tournament was over with, gracefully and only stuck his tongue out for a moment once Sanada had turned his back. He knew it was coming so what was the point in complaining? It had been too hot for that anyways.

"You'll miss the last bus at the station if you don't hurry, Masaharu." His mother stated blandly after rolling her eyes at her son's disgraceful use of profanity, yet again.

Niou muttered a whatever as he picked himself up from the floor and waddled his way over to his clothes. Picking up a crumpled uniform, clean of course he just chose to ignore his mothers prudent chiding of hanging up such things, he put it on and walked to the bathroom. Niou went through is daily routine 1)rub his eyes 2)brush his teeth 3)place gel on his hands 4)run said gelled hands through hair 5) repeat steps 3 and 4 until satisfied with results 6) mess hair up and start again 7) repeat again until tired of dealing with it 8) go down stairs and start another hell like day with his family. The same old thing, only now Yagyuu was involved, well sort of.

"Look at who decided to join the living again today." Rika smirked.

"Shove it." Niou growled sitting down next to her, Yagyuu sat across his face buried in his rice bowl shoveling food in as if he hadn't eaten in a while, one thing that Niou knew wasn't true. Yagyuu liked his food, though not to the gluttonous extent that Marui did, but pretty damn close at times. "You gonna slow down? You look like a fatty doing that."

Yagyuu looked up from his rice, chopsticks midway to his mouth. Narrowing his eyes he shoved the rice into his mouth, then sat his bowl down and laid the chopsticks across the top before folding his hands and placing them in his lap. Always the courteous one.

"I don't understand why you are referring to Marui-kun right now Masaharu."

"I never said you were the fatty I said you looked like a fatty. There is a distinct difference." Niou crossed his arms over his chest and returned the bland little smile that Yagyuu constantly wore when there wasn't a better expression to use in a situation.

"I'm sure there is." Yagyuu replied curtly before getting up. "We'll miss the last bus Masaharu if we don't hurry."

"Already have the bus schedules memorized? That's not creepy in the slightest." Niou said getting up as well.

"Only the important ones. With as much as I've been over here it's only natural."

"Sure if you're Renji."

"Don't be rude." Yagyuu said back.

"Don't be rude." Niou muttered back in a mocking tone. Yagyuu's shoulders tensed as he opened the front door of the house to leave, he hesitated and then stepped outside.

"Man how do those two get along?" Rika laughed shaking her head.

"I wonder what it would be like to be a parent." Niou said as they walked through the school gates.

"Why on earth would you be thinking something like that Masaharu?" Yagyuu asked pushing up his glasses. Niou didn't seem like the kind to want kids, especially when he was still in middle school. Who would want them? Kids were gross, whiny, and…well…gross.

"I don't know, I just got to thinking that's all." Niou shrugged, and placed his hands on his head hoping to hide his growing embarrassment. In truth, he'd always wanted kids, but since he was sort of on the gay side Kids might be out of the question, unless he decided to adopt later on. He just wanted to know Yagyuu's views on it, in case they were still together years down the road they could think about something like adoption. "I think either a little girl or a little boy would be nice. What do you think?"

"Well," Yagyuu began with a sigh. "I can only say that girls are complicated, so raising one would be an almost impossible task for someone such as yourself."

Niou, despite his seeing the insult placed in that remark, shrugged and walked on.

* * *

Ah, Science class. The first class day and the best place to sleep in. Or on a regular day it would, but today Niou would have to up and alert. Today they were starting some partner project of some sorts, of course the teacher, Amasawa-sensei, wouldn't reveal the nature of the project until the day of.

"I know you all have been waiting for today haven't you?" She smiled, "Since we have been going over the nurturing of parents and the development of child brain cells, I've decided that our project will be a special one you could say. A little cliché but special non-the-less." The sound of a few heads colliding with the solid wood of the desks could be heard. "You all, after being partnered up and "married" will have to take care of an egg. There is no time limit to this simulation, I will tell you when to give it back, and when I do I want the original egg what ever there is that's left of it."

"You may not pick your partners, that's my job." her smile became a sinister one, bordering just plain evil.

Niou, personally, hated group projects, especially ones where one could not pick their partners. He began looking around the room, counting each gender silently. Twenty-two people, ten girls and twelve guys. That might pose as a small problem for some.

Amasawa-sensei pulled out a small, portable, plastic arch with faded, fake morning glory intertwined with the white terrace frame.

"Alright, Let's get stared shall we? I will call you up here two at a time, you will stand in front of me, be married and then take your child and become parents for however long I feel like torturing you all…"

Niou sat there and fiddled with the ends of his hair as the names were called. Two by two the pairs went up to the front of the class and then took their egg baby. Niou wasn't particularly interested, but when he looked up and only he and Yagyuu were left his stomach began to twist into knots.

"Niou-kun and," Amasawa-sensei hesitated for a moment, her smile faltering as she looked at the page. "Oh well that's strange, I forgot we had an uneven number in this class, seems as though you two are the only ones left."

'_SHE PLANNED THIS!'_ Niou wanted to yell. Amasawa-sensei had never given up on her grudge against Niou for the one time he played a prank on her. Niou couldn't understand what her problem was, it was only some glue and a toilet seat, nothing bad about that well it wasn't until the Maintenance Department got involved then things got a little messy.

A murmur erupted through the "married folk" of the class, a few giggles could be heard amongst the "wives" knowing that this would be good gossip for latter. Niou's ears turned a bright red with his embarrassment. No one, as far as Niou knew, outside of the regulars knew of his and Yagyuu's relationship.

Yagyuu looked over at him, the light reflecting off his glasses, his mouth was stuck in a pursed, thin line he looked a little displeased with the arrangement. Niou shrugged and got up from his seat and slinked towards the front of the class with Yagyuu following slowly behind.

"Now you two stand here in front of me and face each other." Niou sighed and turned towards Yagyuu, who had his stupid bland smile in place.

"Repeat after me Niou-kun," She began, "I, Niou Masaharu, do so solemnly swear…" Niou repeated her words slowly and dully. "That I will be your wife for the duration of this project…""That I will be your wife for the…WHAT!?" Niou glared at Amasawa-sensei. "You're joking right? I'm not going to be his wife!" He pointed violently at Yagyuu, "You can just forget that."

"Look, I don't care what 'roles' you two play outside of this classroom, but on your paperwork Niou-kun will be recognized as the wife and that role alone. Am I understood?"

Niou didn't answer, he only stared at her in anger, rage, and fury (in just that order.) That was it, he didn't care what she did now. Amasawa-sensei had just earned herself a one way ticket to prank hell and all out going buses have been canceled, too bad for Sanada he was just about to leave too.

"Shall we continue?"

"Whatever." Niou grunted.

"Where was I? Oh yes. Without prejudice to my partner or role in this project, and will play my part with out complaint."

'_A little late for that don't you think?'_ Niou thought as he repeated the words.

"Yagyuu-kun your turn."

This was bad, real bad. Niou did not want to be a wife, no matter how gay he acted when he and Yagyuu were alone, he just wasn't cut out to be a girl. They had too many responsibilities, for example taking care of children, having a husband to feed, keeping a house presentable for guests, giving birth, being pretty, then there was that whole bleeding thing that he didn't exactly understand either, but it made them bitchy.

"I now name you…er…Life partners?" Niou grimaced at the two words. Life partners? How stupid sounding was that? She might as well just go on ahead and say "YOU'RE GAY! Now Niou-kun go fuck yourself!"

"Now, would you two like two or one baby?"

"Two." Yagyuu answered immediately.

"Well so much for a collaborative decision." Niou rolled his eyes as he was handed one of the little sunspots.

"Ok, That will be one boy and one girl. We'll take care of naming them tomorrow."

* * *

**YAYS! It's done! not really now this is going to probably go into this weird I dunno thinggy....this totally went from the ONE-SHOT that it originally was to another multi-chapter project....damn. **

**animeo**


	5. Keichan?

**IT LIVES! ah, I'm so glad to finally get this typed up, like I had it written just not typed so I got lazy for a while. ENJOY!**

* * *

"Ah, that stupid…Why do I have to be the wife?" Niou complained, careful not to squeeze his hands too forcefully or else he would hurt his new 'daughter.' Amasawa-sensei really did hate him if she wised to humiliate him in such a way.

"I think it works out fine, I don't see why you are so upset." Yagyuu said holding their 'son' with care. He would have to ask Rika to work her sewing magic and make the two eggs some form of hat to differentiate them, Niou's crudely drawn faces were wearing off. She'd also have to make some type of carrier as well, between the two of them, someone would end up forgetting one of the 'twins' and then they'd be one short come redemption day, whenever that was.

"That's because you aren't the one being called a wife. Would you like to be my wife then Hiroshi?"

"Don't be rude." Yagyuu simply replied, placing the second egg in Niou's free hand.

If there was one thing Niou had learned about Yagyuu, it was this: when Yagyuu said 'Don't be rude, Masaharu." Or alternatively, "That's vulgar to think." Niou knew that the conversation was over and not to press the issue, because it would do no good, Yagyuu would shut himself up like a clam.

"That's what I thought."

Niou stared at the egg in his right hand and then moved his gaze over to the one in his left. He, with the help of Yagyuu, was supposed to take care of these two little annoyances until Amasawa-sensei decided to end the project. Who knew how long that would be, knowing her, she would prolong the suffering of the other students just to get under Niou's skin and drive him even closer to the breaking point of his already weak sanity. This was going to be hell on earth, for only the gods knew how long.

"Well you did say you wanted children earlier today." Yagyuu commented.

"Cheers to you for not being perturbed, and this is hardly what I had in mind." Niou grimaced and glared at the eggs more. He wondered if perhaps he stared long enough that they might burst in flames and fry on the sidewalk. If he could then he would be able to tell Yukimura to go shove his child of god complex self up Sanada's ass where it belonged.

"You know, when I said kids, I meant the living breathing little things that are popped out of women's-"

"Enough Masaharu, don't be crude." Yagyuu held up a hand, not really wishing to have an anatomy lesson at the moment. He knew how these things went, his father was a doctor after all, and a well-respected one at that.

They went through the day, switching who takes care of which 'child' each period. Niou had taken the liberty of redrawing the little faces on each of them so it would be easier to distinguish between the girl, who Yagyuu had rightfully called Ritsuo, and the boy, who Niou affectionately named Hiro-chan.

"Why Ritsuo?" Niou asked during lunch. He and Yagyuu where on the rooftop, the eggs where sitting between them so they would not roll away.

"Why Hiro-chan?" Yagyuu asked back.

"Because, since I'm supposedly the mother in all this, we couldn't very well call him Masaharu or any variation of that. Unless you want a son who is gender confused."

"I doubt our son will become gender confused on just his name." Yagyuu said, finding it useless to try and change Niou's mind on the subject of them not actually having children, nor were the eggs even close enough to being children to be gender confused in any way. They were eggs, simple unfertilized embryonic sacks

"Another thing, what was with that look?"

"What look?"

"That look you gave me when we were picked as partners, you looked pissed, almost like you didn't want to be with me." Niou explained.

"I was merely shocked that's all."

"Of course you where," Niou said rolling his eyes. "If you had been paying attention, then you would have seen it coming." Niou's chiding tone was definitely something that Yagyuu did not hear often.

Yagyuu only said that they would be late to practice if they did not hurry, and quickened his pace. Niou snorted, but followed anyways. Heaven forbid he make the great Yagyuu Hiroshi late to practice. At least Sanada would be blaming the right person this time.

Niou, of course, enjoyed the thought of having to deal with Sanada's bitching, Marui being a complete fatass, Kirihara's wanting to beat the Troika, and Yukimura yelling about how much all of their forms suck, yes practice was always a joy if you where into that type of kink. Niou, much to many people's surprise, was not.

"Niou, Yagyuu, you two are late." Sanada said pulling his jersey on over his head, as the two entered the clubroom.

Niou snorted as he looked over at Sanada. "And what's your excuse? You're the only one in here Sanada; did Yukimura-buchou pounce on you and leave you to clean up the mess again?"

Sanada glared hard at Niou as he replaced his cap to his head, pulled the bill down over his face and left mumbling for Niou to do fifteen extra laps with his already earned twenty for being late.

"He's being lenient today." Yagyuu mused. He lifted his chin and watched Sanada leave before continuing to change.

"Which proves my point that he and Yukimura just did the naughty in here." Niou wiggled his eyebrows and smirked at Yagyuu. "Why else would he have pulled his hat down?"

"Your point has been made, Masaharu." Yagyuu sighed. "Where are you going to put Ritsuo, and Hiro-chan?"

"I was thinking on the bench next to our bags."

"Won't they fall?" Yagyuu asked.

"No, I don't think so. Would you rather they be outside on the bench next to Yukimura?" Niou said, unbuttoning his shirt. "Though blubber-boy will try to eat them."

"I doubt eggs are…refined enough for someone of Marui-kun's er tastes." Yagyuu said, trying to word the sentence without sounding callous. There really wasn't any good way to say 'eggs are too healthy for Marui Bunta Rikkai's biggest fat.' Yagyuu had tried, but knew he had failed in his polite attempt Niou began laughing, saying that he needed to be more direct with his insults. Yagyuu pursed his lips and finished changing in silence.

Niou's howls began to die out as he grabbed his racquet. Leaning up against the door, he waited for Yagyuu to finish. Upon having his doubles partner leave, Niou took one last glance to make sure Ritsuo and Hiro-chan where safe from harm. Satisfied he too walked out the door.

"Niou, Yagyuu!" Sanada yelled from the rest of the regulars, who where already stretching from their warm up laps. Yanagi looked up from his squatting position behind Kirihara, who also looked up. Marui was snickering behind Jackal.

"Yea yea, we know twenty laps extra for being late, plus fifteen more for me!" Niou mouthed off.

Sanada continued to drill Niou for everything he did. Every che, puri, Piyo, any type of remark or look even earned him laps.

"He's being lenient today." Niou echoed Yagyuu's words earlier in a mocking tone, and pretended to push a pair of invisible glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Niou, ten more laps!"

"Why the fuck should I?" Niou yelled back. "It's not like it matters, you're just gonna-" Niou could not really finish his sentence because he ran into the end of the bench that Yukimura was sitting on.

"He's just going to what, Niou?" Yukimura asked placidly, his usual sparkling smile in place, looking down at Niou's face that was currently twisted in to a mixture of humiliation and pain.

Niou hesitated in his answer, mainly because he was waiting on his shins and nose to stop throbbing; he probably had splinters somewhere because of this. How could he have hit a bench? A huge one at that. Big, blue, and in the way, that's all it was; hence why Yukimura sat there, just so he could make sure he wasn't hit by anything going astray.

"Give me more laps." He said, deciding that an underhanded remark would only make the situation worse. Niou would tangle with just about anyone, Yukimura being one of the very few select people that had possible permanent immunity from him.

At the end of practice Niou slammed the clubroom door open making the pictures of past teams that had won Nationals shake on the opposite wall.

"What the hell was his problem?" Niou yelled. Yagyuu, Marui, and Jackal followed him in, trying to not be hit by the doors repercussion swing.

"I don't know, but he was pissed at you. My genius is telling me that you must have fucked up somewhere." Marui laughed whilst leaning up against a row of foot lockers.

"I didn't do anything." Niou shot back, peeling his shirt off with a harsh glare at the self proclaimed tensai. Only self proclaimed because Marui didn't have the credentials to back up his hot aired claims. Niou could at least prove he was smart, but being a slacker and procrastinator was so much easier.

"He's just being bitchy." Niou laid his shirt down on his tennis bag.

Jackal, having been sitting on the bench untying his shoes the whole time, looked up at Niou noticing the eggs next to his bag he asked, "Niou, Why do you have three eggs next to your bag?"

"Huh? Oh, those things are for that stupid project that Amasawa-sensei is making our class do." Niou replied.

"She's making you guys take care of.. Eggs?" Marui laughed.

"Yea."

"I heard Sanada's class was pulled into it too." Jackal stated. The door opened and in walked Sanada.

"Speak of the devil and the devil shall come." Yagyuu muttered bending over his bag. Sanada glanced over and glared at Yagyuu under the bill of his hat and grunted.

"Where's Kei-chan?" Sanada asked, looking at his bag that he'd left sitting on the bench.

"Kei-chan?" Yagyuu asked, raising an eyebrow. Sanada twitched, before nodding once.

"Kei-chan. The egg that I was assigned to look after."

"What kind of name is Kei-chan?" Marui asked.

"A name for an egg." Sanada replied curtly. He gingerly shifted his things around, careful to not risk 'Kei-chan' falling off if he was still sitting on the bench. Yukimura had already threatened to smash him because of the name. Honestly, Sanada couldn't figure out why Yukimura didn't like the name, it was rather nice in Sanada's opinion. He couldn't think of anyone that they knew that's name stared with Kei-…never mind Sanada just remembered, one Atobe **Kei**go, that's who.

"Umm, Masaharu, we don't have three eggs." Yagyuu said resting a hand on Niou's shoulder. Niou gave an odd look, furrowing his eyebrows and puffed out his bottom lip.

"What you talking 'bout Hiroshi?"

"I'm saying that we have one extra sitting with the two of ours." Yagyuu said pointing down to the trio. Niou looked down and stared wide-eyed saying,

"Holy shit Hiroshi, they multiplied!" Niou freaked pointing at the eggs. "They can't do that can they?"

"No Masaharu, they can't." Yagyuu bent down and picked up the unknown egg.

"Kei-chan where are you?" Sanada called again.

"Sanada-kun, would this perhaps be your Kei-chan?" Yagyuu asked holding the egg out. Sanada looked over and stared at the egg for a moment before nodding once, and taking it from Yagyuu's hand.

"Thank you, Yagyuu." Sanada gave a bow with his head.

"Really Sanada, Kei-chan?" Niou raised an eyebrow. "Very inconspicuous, Yukimura won't have a clue." Sanada glared over at Niou and mumbled something turning back towards his bag, setting Kei-chan down carefully.

"What kind of name is Hiro-chan?" Marui asked.

"A damn good one that's what." Niou shot back. How dare Marui question his naming abilities. If he was having to take care of an egg, he would have probably called it something food related like Ichigo or something to that effect. Unless it had been brown, then he might have called it jackal for a lack of better name.

"Masaharu, hurry up we'll be lat for the last bus." Yagyuu said before walking towards the showers.

"Yeah."

"They sound like a married couple." Marui whispered to Jackal, who nodded in mild agreement. Marui snickered before adding, "I bet the Yagyuu is the reason why Niou called one of the eggs Hiro-chan. He's just a big enough faggot to do it."

"What was that?" Niou leered from behind the two. "I didn't quite catch it."

"You heard me. So you're his wife now too?"

"Fuck you, I'm not his God damn wife!" Niou yelled back. Marui just laughed and walked to the showers.

This wasn't anything new. Marui constantly poked fun at Niou for being gay and have Yagyuu as his boyfriend. If he wasn't twisted enough already being of the homosexual orientation added to it. One thing that Niou had noticed was that Marui never said anything to Yagyuu about it, only when he asked how he put up with Niou's daily stupidity, something that Niou always denied. He just couldn't wrap his head around why, why is it that Yagyuu was left alone while Niou caught the brunt of it all. Sure Yagyuu could be scary as all seven layers of hell when he was mad, but anyone was.

"Come along, Masaharu." Yagyuu said putting a hand on Niou's shoulder, apparently not perturbed by Marui's comments towards Niou in anyway.

Niou picked up the eggs and left, handing Ritsuo to Yagyuu along the way. He didn't say anything all the way to the bus stop, nor did he say anything when they boarded the bus and sat down in the very back, Niou taking the window seat. He sat there, Hiro-chan resting in his lap, and fiddled with the end of his rat tail, fluffing it with the palm of his hand and then smoothing it back with his fingers. When he paid attention he could hear Yagyuu sigh or feel him shift in his seat making his tennis bag brush up against Niou's leg.

He shouldn't be this upset about this, it was a normal happening of the day. Maybe it was just the realization of Yagyuu being special and having immunity to the remarks that where made everyday, or other day depending, on Niou being gay and his boyfriend.

Niou leaned his head up against window and closed his eyes for a moment. He was startled when he felt something brush up against his scalp, it was warm almost like Yagyuu's hand. It was in fact, only it wasn't there to rub Niou's head like Yagyuu sometimes did when something was wrong with the Petenshi, no it was there to push the button to signal for their stop.

"Sorry to reach behind you, Masaharu." Yagyuu apologized quietly.

"Whatever." Niou grunted back.

Yagyuu got up to leave once the bus stopped, picking up his bag and put Ritsuo in his pocket offering Niou his now free hand to help him up. Niou looked at the out stretched hand and narrowed his eyes saying that he wasn't a girl with a hissing edge to his voice. Yagyuu retracted his hand letting it fall to his side.

He'd had it, one more hint at him being, looking, or even acting like a girl and Niou was going to scream.

Yagyuu lead the way off the bus, stepping off he stood to the side of the door and waited for Niou to get off. Yagyuu didn't know what was wrong with Niou, since he never let Marui's comments really eat at him for so long. He wasn't doing anything different as far he knew of, so when Niou yelled upon seeing him standing there didn't help with the finding the answer.

Niou walked ahead at a faster past. Yagyuu's silence only mad him angrier. Usually he would ask what was wrong, but there was nothing, only the sound of Yagyuu's breathing crashing into his ears and the sounds of their foot steps falling into sync.

"Masaharu." There it was, Niou looked up from the sidewalk that he had been silently wishing to just fall away and swallow him up never to see the light of day again. Yagyuu was standing just a few steps behind him. "You're passing up the house."

Niou frowned and looked in the direction that Yagyuu was pointing. Low and behold there was the house in all it's plain and boring splendor. Just like every other house on the street.

"Nobody likes a smart ass." The sneer did nothing to Yagyuu from Niou could see, he held the gate open to let Niou pass through like always. But Niou didn't walk through he stood there glowering at the gate.

"Stop that." He said.

"Stop what Masaharu?" Yagyuu asked tilting his head to the side and inclining his chin upwards.

"That! You're damn polite bullshit, I hate it when you treat me like a girl all the time. No wonder Marui constantly makes fun of me for it!"

Yagyuu didn't say anything he only stared at Niou, the light reflecting off his glasses allowing Niou to see himself in the reflection. His eyes are round. His hair sticks up. His face is white and his chest panting from his own anger and fury. Niou's throat closed up when Yagyuu's lips pursed into a thin line.

"I'm sorry, Masaharu, that you feel that way. I wasn't aware that I was treating you like a girl." His tone was curt and sharp, stabbing Niou with every word. "I'll be sure to keep myself in check from now on." With that Yagyuu walked away leaving Niou standing there on the sidewalk. That was it, just air in front of him now. Niou heard the faint click of the front door, waiting a few moments before he moved towards the gate and then the door.

Great now Yagyuu was pissed at him. Groaning he trudged forward.

* * *

**TT-TT anyone else think there isn't any love in this chapter? I swear I got so depressed writing this, but I need something angsty to write and so this is it, my new brain child! well not new but you all understand right? One thing that I didn't like was that I couldn't put a certain scene in just yet, it will take a while once Niou gets Ritsuo for the day, then my master scene of great hilariousness will unfold. Also I'd like to add....MARUI IS AN ASS IN THIS CHAPTER! Seriously calling Niou a faggot and stuff, ugh so not cool.**

**until next time,**

**animeo**


	6. Therapy Switching is the remedy to all

**Yays Another chapter! we can now see how things will turn out. Will Yagyuu stay mad at Niou? Will Niou be able to resolve his mild feelings of being inadiquate? We shall see. Enjoy.**

* * *

Yagyuu's shoes where neatly, like always, placed next to Niou's Mother's shoes in the entry way. Niou shucked off his own shoes leaving them strewn.

"Oh Yagyuu-kun, you're home. Where's Masaharu?" Niou heard his mothers overly sweet voice come from the kitchen. He looked up and saw Yagyuu standing at the door way connecting the hall to the kitchen,

Yagyuu turned and looked at him before saying. "He's here, somewhere."

Niou gaped, but then composed himself and twisted his open-mouth into a tightly closed, twisted smirk.

"Well, I hope he'll be home soon. I'm making his favorite tonight, Barbecued Eel."

That had been the smell that had hit Niou in the face, he hadn't particularly noticed it, due to his anger from the Yagyuu confrontation on the sidewalk, but now he could. That wonderful sweet, tangy smell of Eel cooking, with sound of the rice cooker steaming away in the background. He never did give his mother much credit, but when she cooked it was always exquisite, there rarely ever where 'leftovers' (that wasn't a word in the Niou household that was used on a regular basis, such words were almost blasphemous to them though you couldn't tell by Niou's testimony alone.)

Rika cam down the stairs, not looking in her brothers direction, and asked Yagyuu where her dear little brother was, since he wasn't with him. Yagyuu replied in the same bland, monotone he had used before, only adding an 'I guess' to the front of it.

Niou clenched his right fist around the strap of his tennis bag trying hard to not rip it off and just pummel Yagyuu right there. His knuckles began to hurt, he didn't even need to look at them to tell they were white and trembling. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm standing right here." biting his tongue so as to not add 'you fucking, jackass,' at the end.

"Oh, I didn't know Masaharu," Yagyuu's reply was nonchalant and casual, as if he and Niou where talking about how practice had gone or something else of insignificance.

"Of course you didn't."

"Masa-chan," Niou looked over to his sister. "Why are you holding an egg?"

Niou gave her a questioning look, then he remembered that Hiro-chan was still in his left hand. What surprised him even more was that he hadn't cracked it yet in all of his anger the past fifteen minutes or so.

"Because, it makes me feel better about myself that's why." He sneered, "No you idiot, they're for a class project."

"What, you have to take care of them or something?" Niou nodded slowly. Rika began laughing asking if he was really serious. Niou nodded again.

"Stop laughing!"

"But, you have to take care of an egg with a girl!"

Niou flushed. "I'm not working with a girl, Hiroshi is my partner." He muttered.

"Oh, Yagyuu-kun you'd make an excellent wife."

It was Yagyuu's turn to had a hue of red to his skin, Niou couldn't help but laugh at the sight, it was priceless. Rika looked back at her brother and smirked. If there was one ting she could do, it would be having this amazing ability to tell when something was wrong with her younger brother and just how to fix it.

"Well," She continued on, "he already is very neat, polite, and just plain cute. You on the other hand Masa-chan are rude, messy, perverted, and childish, definitely not fit to be the mother of anyone's children real or fictional, on top of that you definitely aren't girly."

She certainly did get to the heart of the matter as well. Without Niou having to utter a single word about how pretty much everyone called him a girl at one point or another or implied it, Rika had honed in on the problem. Because of this Niou was practically beaming on the inside, but kept his cool smirk in place.

"Wouldn't you agree Masa-chan?"

Niou nodded.

"Good now let's end this little battle that Masaharu has waged on you Yagyuu-kun." Niou rolled his eyes knowing exactly what his sister was going to say next. "Now, kiss and make up."

Yagyuu looked her with thin, pursed lips, Niou scowled.

"Not going to happen." Niou stated, "You are a sick, sick woman that needs help."

"I won't watch." Rika placed her hands behind her back innocently and turned on her heels to face the opposite wall, her back now to them.

"I ain't kissin' you," Niou said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Am not." Yagyuu corrected.

"All the same thing."

"Hardly, a lot of things may seem the same, Masaharu, but in truth they are quite different take homonyms for example-"

Niou held up a hand. He then smirked and lifted his chin upward his mole catching the light slightly, and gave Yagyuu an almost challenging sneer. He then plucked Yagyuu's glasses from his face and placed them on his own, straightened his back up and pushed out his chest.. "Now, elaborate further."

"Why should I?" Yagyuu replied his posture slumping over so that Niou was now standing taller than he was. A twisted half grimace half scowl took the place of his bland smile. "Its not like you'll listen anyways."

"How so?" Niou asked, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose. These weren't like the ones they used for the switch. Yagyuu's prescription hurt his eyes, causing a sharp pain to form behind them. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, relieving them of the strain for the fleeting second.

"You choose to ignore me when you don't know how to fix the problem. Hoping it will all just blow over that way." Rika had turned back around, staring at the sight. These two had to be completely crazy.

"Really? And you, Masaharu, fly off the handle when things do not go your way."

""How else am I supposed to get your attention? The rest of the time you're off in your God damn bubble world other wise."

Niou couldn't understand why they hadn't used this method to solve problems before. By switching to each other, they could voice and accuse the fake with all of their faults and opinions. That way the guilt could be evenly spread.

"I won't let my anger get the best of me then." Yagyuu sighed, slouching forward and placing his hands on his hips.

"Then I will not ignore your feelings and be more empathetic, Masaharu." Niou tilted his head forward acknowledging the end of the discussion, just like Yagyuu always did to him.

"What are you two doing?" Rika asked. "This isn't kissing and making up, this is like some type of kinky foreplay!"

"That's vulgar, Rika-san." Niou grimaced, his mouth tightening into a tight, thin line.

Rika glared pointedly at him, "Since when have you ever thought anything to be vulgar, is that even a word in your vocabulary?"

"It must be since he used it." Yagyuu retorted

"Oh hush you," Rika said. "Now, Masaharu, stop this nonsense and I mean it."

Niou stood there, the grimace fading into a perfect imitation of Yagyuu's bland, vacant look, then to the impassive smile Yagyuu was so fond of. His left arm crossed over his stomach while his right index finger hooked over the top of the nose piece of Yagyuu's glasses pulling them down so he could look over the top of them and grinned wildly saying, "Puri," in a low whisper.

Rika frowned and thumped her brother on the forehead, "Don't you 'puri' me Masaharu." She scolded.

"Ow," Niou furrowed his brow and rubbed the soar spot, there would probably be a very unattractive red spot there later on. Taking off the glasses he handed them back to Yagyuu who took them gladly.

"Thank you, Masaharu," He said returning them to his face.

Niou nonchalantly nodded, "Umm Hiroshi."

Yagyuu looked up at him, "Yes?"

Niou hesitated, unsure as to how he should word his sentence. Yagyuu was the only person, that Niou could think of right off the bat, that would make him really think before he spoke. Tentatively he spoke, "I'm sorry for…what I said earlier, about your being polite pissing me off. Not that it doesn't. What I mean is-"

Yagyuu held up a hand cutting him off and smiled, "I understand, Masaharu, I'll just hold back on it some ok."

Compromise, a word that Niou did not particularly like. Compromise, was one of those words fickle minded adults used so that they could have their pie and eat it too, like loving both genders and never going without a lover of some kind, that false security blanket they craved for, called compromise of sexuality. Compromise, was something that two war generals did in order to end or avoid violent confrontations, thus saving the lives of thousands, or perhaps saving more of what would have been lost souls like those who had gone before them, the compromises of governmental alliances and treaties. Compromise, is something married couples did when both sides wished to be selfish and have their way like spoiled children fighting over an old toy that neither of them really like, but wish to fight just because the other wants it, the compromise of familial confrontation and need of validation though such conflicts. Compromise is something that he and Yagyuu had just done though, the compromise of lacking communication and . Grant it they are fickle, but not whorish adults with nothing better to do then have sex. Neither are they military leaders looking to get into the history books. They sure as hell weren't married, legally, and probably never would be given the Japanese government right now. Putting all these things into perspective there was hardly any way they could even think of the word, compromise, let along actually put the meaning into motion, but they had.

"Ugh, this is useless." Rika groaned.

"What was useless?" Niou's mother poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Nothing," Niou replied a bemused grin on his mouth.

* * *

**Ok first things first...awesomeness that things are better sorta. The switch works both on and off the courts apparently, and Rika is still a weirdy.  
...that's kinda it this time around. I do understand this was an extremely short chapter this time around, and I'm sorry for that, just I've been preoccupied with other things. Because of Elle-chan I've been playing around with the idea of writting SanadaxTezuka smut, like actual M rated stuff, I'm really happy about it. YAYS UKE!Tezuka, you make me smile so much. So much crazy angsty stuff we've been contemplating...ah. well please review if you so choose to! **

**animeo**


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